Jeremiah 25
Notes
Battle of Carchemish
The most important battle at Carchemish, however, was not fought over possession of the city. At the very end of the Assyrian period, when Nebuchadnezzar was incorporating all former Assyrian territory within the new Babylonian Empire, Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt came to Carchemish to try to save the remnants of the Assyrian army. He hoped to preserve a weak Assyria as a buffer between him and a strong and aggressive Babylon. He arrived too late to save the Assyrians, perhaps held up by Josiah’s unsuccessful challenge at Megiddo (2 Chron. 35:20–24). Nebuchadnezzar defeated Neco at Carchemish. This victory gave Babylon authority over all of western Asia within the next few years; for this reason it ranks as one of the most decisive battles of all time. Jeremiah and the chronicler both took note of it; Jeremiah composed a poetic dirge commemorating the Egyptian defeat (Jer. 46:2–12). The
the Lord had sent some other godly prophets contemporary with Jeremiah to warn Judah of the impending disaster (v.4). There were Uriah, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk.
Most interpreters—both liberal and conservative—believe the seventy years of captivity are a round number, i.e., a normal life span (cf. Ps 90:10; Isa 23:15).
12–14 The same divine principles that worked against Judah’s sin will also be effective against Babylon (v.12). Its rule was terminated by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus (c. 536–535 B.C.). The
It is clear that God used Babylon, not because of her merit, but because of Israel’s sin.
The “many nations” and “great kings” refer to the Medes and Persians with their many allies or tributary kings under Cyrus the Great. They would impose forced labor on the once-invincible Babylonians.
15–16 This powerful passage records either a vision or a figure of speech. It is a message about God’s wrath on Judah and the nations.
The roster of the nations that will suffer judgment begins with Jerusalem and Judah. All the nations named in chapters 46–51 except Damascus are included. The list runs from south to north, from Egypt to Persia.
“All the foreign people” (v.20) have been understood as being the mercenaries who joined the Egyptian forces, or foreigners in general, or some of the Egyptians of mixed blood. We do not have sufficient data to be certain just who they were
Jeremiah speaks of the remnant of Ashdod because the city was destroyed by Psammetik I (663–609 B.C.) after a siege of twenty-nine years (so Hyatt; cf. Herod. 2.157). Ashdod was rebuilt in Nehemiah’s day (Neh 13:23).
26 Finally Jeremiah reaches the culminating point of the prophecy—viz., the judgment of Sheshach. Who is meant here?
Cryptic name for Babylon
With irresistible logic God asks, as it were (v.29), “If Israel suffers, will you nations escape?” It will be impossible for any people to escape destruction for their sins. This a fortiori argument also occurs in Ezekiel 9:6 and even more clearly in 1 Peter 4:17.
30–33 In vivid poetry Jeremiah restates vv.27–29. Turning from the metaphor of the cup, he uses the metaphor of the lion (v.30; cf. v.38). Like a lion’s roar, the Lord’s voice sounds from heaven against his own fold—the Holy Land and its people. Again, judgment begins with Judah. Suddenly the imagery shifts to a vintage scene, which was always attended with shouts of rejoicing (cf. Isa 9:3; 16:10). The shouting symbolizes a war cry; here it becomes the shout of the Lord treading down the nations (cf. Isa 63:3; Rev 14:19–20; 19:15). The noise (v.31) is like the trampling of an army; it is the crash of war (cf. Amos 2:2). Again changing the figure, Jeremiah portrays a lawsuit (v.31; cf. 2:9; 12:1) in which God is both prosecutor and judge of all the nations. Then he takes another metaphor of judgment from nature (v.32)—namely, that of a tempest (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar). Nation after nation will fall under the domination of Babylon. Then in plain prose (v.33), Jeremiah describes the appalling scene of the multitudes of unburied dead.
30–38 At once Jeremiah reverts to poetry, as he returns three times to the shepherd metaphor for the leaders of the nation (cf. vv.34, 35, 36). In each instance the shepherds are called “leaders of the flock”—in short, the elite of the nation.
Jeremiah, great writer that he is, moves from the figure of a flock of sheep to that of “fine pottery” smashed by a fall.
In v.38 Jeremiah returns to the lion metaphor. As a lion abandons a den that has been destroyed, so the Lord will abandon his own land after he has devastated it with the sword of the oppressive invader.